Brewers' Pat Murphy embracing new rivalry with Cubs' Craig Counsell

(670 The Score) Craig Counsell got his opportunity to play baseball at Notre Dame thanks to then-coach Pat Murphy, and it proved to be the start of a close relationship. It continued on in 2016 when Counsell, then manager of the Brewers, brought in Murphy as his bench coach.

But that relationship takes on a different tone these days after Counsell left his role with the Brewers to become manager of the Cubs – which opened the managerial seat in Milwaukee for Murphy. Now, the two close friends are division rivals and they treat their relationship the same way.

“We don’t talk. I mean, you can’t,” Murphy told the Mully & Haugh Show on Friday morning. “Your relationship takes on a different deal. Like, we’ll text about the families and things like that.

“I’ll text him something or he’ll text me something, or some joke or whatever. But we don’t talk about baseball. We haven’t had any conversations. But we’re always going to be close, no matter what happens. Everybody can recover from stitches or whatever. It won’t ruin our relationship.”

The Cubs host the Brewers for an anticipated three-game series at Wrigley Field beginning Friday, with the Cubs one game back of the Brewers for first place in the NL Central division race.

Murphy will not manage Friday's series opener as he serves a two-game suspension for his role in a benches-clear brawl Wednesday between the Brewers and Rays. Murphy will return to the dugout for Saturday's game at Wrigley Field.